1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates generally to a surgical device for use in a minimally invasive surgical procedure. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to an articulating surgical assembly having at least a first segment and a second segment that are separately movable.
2. Background of Related Art
A minimally invasive surgical procedure is one in which a surgeon enters a patient's body through one or more small openings in the patient's skin or a naturally occurring opening (e.g., mouth, anus, or vagina). As compared with traditional open surgeries, minimally invasive surgical procedures have several advantages and disadvantages. Minimally invasive surgeries include arthroscopic, endoscopic, laparoscopic, and thoracic surgeries. Advantages of minimally invasive surgical procedures over traditional open surgeries include reduced trauma and recovery time for patients.
However, some disadvantages include a lack of direct visualization of the surgical site and reduced dexterity of instruments, as compared to traditional open surgeries. Maneuvering surgical instruments with the necessary degree of dexterity for surgical procedures is difficult under these conditions, compounded by the fact that a surgeon often needs to reach off-axis points within a body cavity in the course of minimally invasive procedures. Accordingly, a need exists for a system capable of articulating surgical instrumentation through multiple planes in an internal body cavity with accuracy and precision. It is further desirable to provide a surgeon with a control system that is intuitive and easy to operate to compensate for the lack of direct visualization within a body cavity.
Accordingly, a need exists for a surgical device capable of giving a surgeon control of a surgical instrument in multiple planes of movement.